Orthopedic appliance for foot treatment.



W. H. WOOD.

' URTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE FOB FOOT TREATMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. I6. 1916.

1,240,286. PatentedSept; 18, 1917..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'wInLIAMHLWoon, 0E CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 STANLEY w. cooK,

I TRUSTEE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ORTHQPEDIC APPLIANCE FORFOOT TREATMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WOOD, acitizenof the United States, residing atCleveland, inthe county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Orthopedic Appliances for FootTreatment, of which the following is a specification.

'My" invention relates to improvements in appliances for foot treatment,and has for itsgeneral' object to provide an appliance forremedying botha bunion or outward displacein entof the first metatarso-phalangealarticulation and a falling of the transverse archof the foot due todownward displacement ofthe heads of one or more of the middlemetatarsal bones.

A'particularobject of my invention-is to provide a neat, effective andcomfortable means for attachingthe'- article to the foot and insuringthepositioning of its principal members in accurately-adjustedpositions.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of myinvention- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an appliance showing itsposition in use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 22.of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In'the practice of my invention I combine with a toe splint arranged toextend along the outside of the foot from a point in rear of, to a pointin front of, the first metatarsal phalangeal articulation; anchoragemeans comprising a stall for the great toe and a foot-encircling band orbelt, respectively connected with the front and rear end of the splint;and a hump-element adapted to exert a restorative upward pressure uponthe under side of the foot adjacent the heads of certain metatarsalbones, said hump-element associated with the belt in advantageousrelation.

In the specific construction shown the toe splint structure '10comprises .a metallic spring body 11 having-a conveXo-concavebunion-receiving pocket 12, preferably apertured ovally at its crest, asshown at 13, and integrallyconnected with front and rear extensions orarms let and 15. To the inner I side of this splint is connected a feltpadding Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed December 16, 1916." Serial No. 137,322.

structure for spanning the first matatarsophalangeal joint will serve. Atoe encircling band 17, preferably adapted to belaced, as at 18, isconnected to the front arm of the splint to form a stall for the greattoe by which the front arm of the appliance may be securely anchored.Specifically the band is stitched at 19 to the felt pad.

20 indicates a hump element, associated with, and having its positiongenerally controlled by adjustment of a belt 21 that encircles the footjust back of the ball thereof. This hump is preferably integral with anunder-foot spring-22 shaped to follow the transverse curvature of thefoot and run up the side thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, for pivotalconnection, at 23, to the splint arm 15. The hump proper 24: is ofcon-vexo-concave section and of circular or other appropriate plancontour, so that when forced against the under side of the foot just inrear of the heads of the metatarsal bones, it will exert a restorativeupward pressure upon said bones if the latter be misplaced or dropped.The foot encircling belt or strap 21 is adapted to be buckled snuglyaround the foot and is arranged to have its buckle ensconced within theunderside concave of the hump plate. Specifically belt 21 has ananchored tab portion 26, secured to the splint arm 15 structure,preferably by anchorage of one ex- *nity of said belt-tab to thepivoting rivet 28, the opposite extremity of said section passingthrough one of two diametrically opposed slots 25 and 25" in the humpplate 24 and carrying a buckle 9.7 within the confines of the under sideof the hump plate. The other or adjustable section 28, of the belt, isadapted to have its loose end passed through the other hump plate slotand engaged with the buckle '27, and its other end is adjustablyengageable with the splint. Thus the fast end of this belt-section isattached to a wire loop 30 having a hook 31 that may engage any one ofnotches 32 made in the splint-arm 15. By moving the belthook 31 fore oraft relatively to the splint arm, thereby directing the belt indifferent lines of traverse of the foot, the fore-andaft position of thehump may be varied, the pivotal connection 23 of the underfoot springpermitting this hump-movement.v

cover-piece 33 slotted as at 35, 35 in register with hump-plate slots25, 25", so as to be held in place by thebelt.

\Vhile I have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment ofmy invention for purposes of full disclosure of one Operative formthereof, it Will be understood by those skilled in the art that manychanges may be madein the structure Without departure from the spirit ofvmy invention Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim is:- M v 1 1. Thecombination of a relatively rigid structure adapted to extend along aside por tion of the foot, means to attach one end 'thereofto the foot,a belt to attach the other end thereof to the foot With the belt passingin rear of the metatarsal heads, said belt having one end fast to therigid structure and its other end; adjustably connectible With saidrigid structure at different longitudinal points to throw the course ofthe belt that passes beneath the foot into different lines. oftraverse,,and a hump elev ment coacting With the belt to be positionedWith respect to the length of the foot by the stated adjustment of thebelt.

[2. The combination of a toe-splint, a belt connected. at one end to therear end of the splintand at its other end adjustably con- Qopies ofthis patent may be obtained for nectible to different points near therear end of the splint, and a hump member engaged by the under-footcourse of said belt.

3. The combination of a toe-splint, a belt connected to the rear end ofsaid toe-splint, said belt having a fastening device located in itsunder-foot course, and a convexo-concave hump element engaging said beltand enveloping the fastening in its concave.

4. The combination of a toesplint, a belt having its one end fixedthereto and its other end adjustable lengthwise thereof, and adoWn-and-undercurved under-foot plate pivoted to said splint, having ametatarsal hump portion slotted to receive the belt, said belt having afastening means within th concaveunderside of said hump.

5. The combination of a belt; a fastening devicefor the ends of thebelt; a hump plate carried by said belt, and overlying the -fasteningdevice and a cover for said hump plate; r

-6. The combination of a belt; a hump plate carried by said belt, and acover for said hump-plate, said hump-plate and cover having registeringopenings through which the belt is threaded.

In testimony whereof I hereunto setmy h -n five cents each, by addressing-the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtomLG.

WILLIAM H. Wooi).

